When You Serve

Jesus said to His disciples, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:25-28 (NASB).

There is a lesson for us, illustrated in the actions of eleven-year-old Jeff. He, along with the rest of the boy scout troop, did a "good turn" in order to complete a project for their next service badge. The boys gathered at Mr. and Mrs. Meyers' house and spent some time cleaning the snow and ice off the older couple's sidewalks and porch.

But somehow, Jeff didn't feel satisfied. To him, it felt sort of phony. He talked it over with his scoutmaster. "I don't think it really helped them much. It seems like we did it more to earn points for ourselves."

"You could go back on your own to see what you can do to help them," the scoutmaster suggested. "And, if you don't tell anyone about it, you won't be earning 'points.’” To Jeff, that sounded like the perfect solution. He’d serve with no motive for notice or reward. There’s a lesson for us.

I. WHEN YOU SERVE, DO IT SECRETLY:

A. Don’t do it for admiration or acclaim; praise or prestige; recognition or reputation.

1. Jesus censured the Pharisees for seeking men’s admiration. “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” Matthew 6:1-3 (NASB).

2. Some people can’t give a bag of Dollar Store gingersnaps without wanting their name in the bulletin for meritorious service.

B. Two Don’ts come to mind:

1. Don’t just seek the small, unsatisfying praise of men, instead, desire God’s “Good job!”

2. Don’t despise the smaller, less noteworthy tasks because they bring little or no recognition. Like the judge who was asked to teach a 5th grade class at church, and refused because he considered himself too important for such a small task.

C. Real service is

1. Disconnected from personal benefit and honor.

2. Done for no eyes but the Lord’s and, only if need be, the beneficiary.

D. I knew a man 50 years ago who made sure to point out things he and his wife had given to the church, saying, “We gave that just to show what good Christians we are.” They had their reward.

E. Call no attention to your service and remember: “God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.” Hebrews 6:10 (NASB). If He sees, no one else needs to.

Jeff decided to serve the Meyers as secretly as possible. When he knocked on the door, he was nervous, but he was determined to follow through with his good turn.

Mrs. Meyers opened the door and listened carefully, and then politely declined Jeff's offer of help. Mr. Meyers, however, overheard the conversation. "I know something you can help with," he said cheerfully, and he motioned Jeff to, follow him into the kitchen.

Jeff was kept busy carrying some items up from, and others down to, the basement, and climbing a stepladder to reach high shelves. That evening Jeff felt very tired, but he felt more satisfied with his work than he had after shoveling snow.

After school the next day, Jeff returned to the Meyers' home. This time they were both willing to accept his help. He stopped by a third time a few days later as he said he would.

"No work today," Mrs. Meyers said. For a moment Jeff felt disappointment, but then Mr. Meyers said, "Today we have a surprise for you." With that they ushered him into the small dining room.

A table set for three sat waiting, complete with lace cloth, flowers, and a silver plate filled with diamond-shaped cookies. “Help yourself; there are plenty more.” Mrs. Meyers said as she passed the silver plate to Jeff.

Thus began an hour or so of laughter and conversation. As the couple shared pictures and told stories about their family that now lived far away, Jeff's heart was softened as he realized how lonely they were. He decided to stop by often and "help out.” All during the years of junior and senior high, Jeff continued to stop by a time or two each week. There was always some way he could pitch in. He never got tired of helping the Meyers and they never tired of his company. Here is another lesson: